Inversus – PAX East 2016 Hands-On Preview

If you’ve ever wondered what a cross between Geometry Wars and Othello would look like, well Inversus is the answer. Created solely by former Bungie developer Ryan Jucket, Inversus is a 1-4 player, minimalistic shooter. You control a square that can move about the map only on tiles of a certain color. By shooting at enemies (in Arcade Mode) or human-controlled opponents, you not only kill them, but you invert the color of tiles on the map. “I wanted to make something where every move I made had an effect on the play space,” Juckett said.

(Inversus, Ryan Juckett)

This unique twist on movement, along with the fact that you can only fire off a few rounds before depleting your weapon, which must then recharge, turns the traditional notion of twin-stick shooters on it’s head. Rather than spewing out as many bullets as possible while wildly flying around the level, you have to mind your weapon charge, play space, and your enemy’s movements.

Arcade Mode, which mimics Geometry Wars’ enemy waves, combos and leaderboards, was fun, but the 1v1 and 2v2 modes were far and away the most appealing part of Inversus. Playable both online and locally, Inversus is immediately easy to grasp and totally inviting, making it a great party game.

Inversus is scheduled to launch simultaneously on PS4 and Steam late this August, for somewhere in between $10 and $15.